Chad
Bushnell
"Started trading markets at 13. Two decades later, I've built and scaled businesses on four continents — from JSE trading floors to DeFi protocols, from thoroughbred bloodstock to Tier-1 token launches."
Chad Bushnell is a South African-born entrepreneur and investor with over 20 years of institutional-grade financial markets experience. Beginning at ANGLORAND Securities as a private-client stockbroker, he progressed to managing portfolios at Banyan Asset Management before channelling his market instincts into entrepreneurship.
He co-founded BullsnBears, a proprietary trading and market intelligence firm that drew institutional-quality recognition from peers, and built multiple consumer ventures including Spiritual Spirits (premium liquor brand), Money Tree Magazine (financial media), and a physical commodity trading operation dealing in gold and ethanol across African markets.
An early crypto adopter, Chad co-founded a private-equity-backed arbitrage operation before joining YellowCard — Africa's leading fiat-to-crypto gateway — as Head of Trading & Liquidity and Business Development Manager. During his tenure, YellowCard scaled from seed to a $100M+ Series C, achieving dominant on/off-ramp coverage across 20+ African countries with backing from Polychain Capital, Valar Ventures, Coinbase Ventures, and Block (Jack Dorsey).
He has personally led or advised multiple seven- and eight-figure token launches on Ethereum, Solana, and Tron — securing Tier-1 exchange listings, multi-million-dollar liquidity arrangements with top market makers, and VC co-investments from leading funds.
A passionate horse racing participant for over a decade, Chad has owned, syndicated, and served as bloodstock agent for 50+ thoroughbreds with successful exports and sales worldwide — honing his expertise in high-stakes risk management, ownership syndication, and global market networks that translate directly into sports betting and tokenized asset strategies.
Career Timeline
Chad began trading financial markets as a teenager in South Africa, developing an obsessive understanding of technical and fundamental analysis that would define his career — and later draw institutional-grade recognition from veteran market professionals.
After graduating from UKZN, Chad joined ANGLORAND Securities as a private-client stockbroker, building a reputation for accurate market trend calling using a combination of technical and fundamental analysis — earning endorsement from senior colleagues who described his ability as far exceeding his age.
BrokerageJSESouth AfricaProgressed from brokerage to portfolio management, overseeing client assets within institutional-grade frameworks — applying deep markets knowledge to structured portfolio construction, risk management, and performance delivery.
Portfolio ManagementHedge FundChad co-founded BullsnBears — a proprietary trading and market intelligence firm. Simultaneously, he launched Money Tree Magazine, a financial media publication, and Spiritual Spirits, a premium liquor brand — demonstrating an appetite for brand building and consumer markets alongside financial ventures. He also operated a physical commodity trading business dealing in gold and ethanol.
Trading FirmMediaFMCGCommoditiesOver 10+ years in the horse racing industry, Chad has owned and managed thoroughbreds across South Africa and internationally, operating as a bloodstock agent for buying, selling, and exporting horses globally. His experience in high-stakes syndication models, ownership structures, and global transaction management maps directly to tokenized asset and RWA investment frameworks.
Horse RacingBloodstockSyndicationRWABefore mainstream crypto adoption, Chad co-founded a PE-backed arbitrage operation — an early institutional-grade play in cryptocurrency markets that leveraged his deep understanding of price discovery, liquidity mechanics, and cross-exchange dynamics.
Crypto ArbitragePrivate EquityInstitutionalChad joined YellowCard at seed stage and was instrumental in building the trading desk and liquidity infrastructure that powered the platform's continental scale. YellowCard grew to dominate on/off-ramps across 20+ African countries, raising $15M Series A (led by Valar Ventures, with Coinbase Ventures, Square, Polychain), $40M Series B (led by Polychain Capital), and $33M Series C (led by Blockchain Capital) — reaching a $100M+ valuation and forming partnerships with Block (Jack Dorsey), Coinbase, and MoonPay.
YellowCard$100M+ Series C20+ CountriesAfricaRunning BGV as a boutique global investment and advisory platform — structuring and scaling ventures across Web3, FinTech, CleanTech, and AI. Active portfolio includes EcoBlock Labs (Co-Founder/CEO), Global Green Fund, Oxygen Project, ESG Tech AG, and Sports 360. Advising founders and institutions on token launches, capital raises, and emerging market expansion globally.
BGVDubaiDelawareGlobalWhat peers, collaborators, and the industry have said about Chad's track record and capabilities.
Chad's talent coupled with a never-say-die attitude has allowed him to be very successful. His ability to call market trends using technical and fundamental analysis far exceeds his age. I would recommend Chad to any institution for hire.
Africa is teaching us about real use cases of blockchain and the opportunity the tech presents for greater inclusion. YellowCard's team — including Chad — was at the forefront of building what that meant in practice.
YellowCard has become Africa's most-funded cryptocurrency exchange — building defensible, local payment rails that power stablecoin adoption across 20 countries and attracting partnerships with Coinbase, Block, and MoonPay.